Appearance and Personality

Kiel'ndia is an eccentric. She is written off as hopelessly insane by many of the people that she interacts with and is definitely not known for her subtlety. She can hear voices from the readers' side of the 4th wall and will often speak to them, much to the annoyance or amusement of characters around her. Kiel always speaks her mind, and she will act the side of her particular ideals of justice no matter the odds.

Kiel'ndia is passionate, energetic, and driven to see her goals met. She is fiercely loyal to the people she cares about, including her mother Ven'ndia, her best friend Naal'suul, and her adopted sister Kharla'ggen. She is pragmatic about the grudges she holds and does not mind joining forces with someone she used to disagree with if it is for the right reasons.

Kiel has long orange hair that is tied back in a messy, matted ponytail. Her eyes are tainted red with a small white swirl in her pupils. While she preferred bright colors such as yellow and orange for her clothing in her younger years, she later opted for the more subdued black, red and dark orange clan colors worn by most of the Vel'Vloz'ress in Arc II.

Biography

Early Life

Before the Vel'Vloz'ress was an official clan, they were a simple group of outcast researchers and drow who showed the same religious beliefs who were intent on studying demons to better protect the drow races. Kiel'ndia was born to the leader of this group, Ven'ndia[1]. They were generally peaceful, and Kiel lived happily with her family and friends until one of the group's summoners, Sene'kha, brought home a young girl named Kharla'ggen. During an attack by the Vel'Sharen, who had hoped to ally with Ven'ndia in hopes of gaining access to her nether research, Kharla'ggen's mysterious puppetry power was revealed as the young drow eliminated each of the Sharen invaders. Even after this, Ven'ndia refused to treat her as anything but a child, contrary to Sene'kha's suggestion that Kharla'ggen would make a fearsome figurehead leader to the other clans.

Kharla'ggen, though young and simple-minded, was powerful enough to catalyze a dynamic shift in power for the leaders of the Vloz'ress. When Ven'ndia refused to comply with Sene'kha's wishes, the nether summoner used the child to kill her in front of Kiel's eyes and to take over the group for herself. Kharla was appointed as a puppet Illhar, with Sene'kha guiding her actions, and the clan quickly rose to power as one of the nine great clans - the Vel'Vloz'ress.

Ven'ndia's aura was used to power a golem that was mounted over the doors to the main hall. Kiel was deeply upset by the loss of her mother at such a young age, but had no choice but to submit to Sene'kha's will. Eventually Kiel'ndia and the rest of her clan were all tainted as the clan's reputation grew to hold the image of a crazed nether cult. Kharla'ggen and later Mir'kiin Vel'Vloz'ress were adopted as her siblings in order to provide a semblance of "family" for the powerful young Ill'haress; whild Kiel acknowledged the faults of her siblings, she grew to care for them greatly nonetheless[2].

Orthorbbae

Kiel'ndia and Naal'suul have a weird but close relationship.

When Kiel came of age, she attended school at Orthorbbae with the rest of the clans, and was assigned as Naal'suul Val'Beldrobbaen's dormitory roommate. Being new to the lifestyle of a Val and to Orthorbbae in general, Kiel stood out amongst her peers due to her eccentric nature and her odd behaviour. Despite this, Naal revealed later that she hadn't thought less of Kiel's new status, as she was entertained by the odd drow's antics and always wondered what she would do next. Kiel was wierd...but Naal liked wierd.[3]

Over time, Kiel'ndia joined a group of Vals her age consisting of Naal'suul, Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen, Shinae Vel'Sharen, Faen Val'Sullisin'rune, and Kyo'nne Val'Illhar'dro. As the joker of the group, she was not often taken seriously, but Kiel never seemed to mind. She became particularly close with Naal'suul after an accident at the school killed an entire generation of Val'Beldrobbaen girls save for Naal, who became heavily tainted. Naal's personality shrank immensely, and while the rest of the girls changed the way they looked at and acted towards her, Kiel spoke to her as if she were exactly the same. The two quickly became best friends despite their odd differences[4].

Another unfortunately incident occurred when one of Kiel's classmates, Faen'arae Val'Sullisin'rune, accidentally killed their summoning teacher when she went into empathetic shock. Faen fled and was not seen again until Kiel and her friends were walking through the streets of the city. Chrys'tel spotted her in an alley and chased after her only to find that she had fallen into a trap laid by Faen's best friend, Ariel' Val'Sarghress. Ariel defeated Chrys'tel before her friends could catch up, and Kiel'ndia prepared to fight for Chrys. They were interrupted by the young Kyorl warden Chirinide Val'Kyorl'solenurn, who sent her templars to capture the tainted girls[5] and Kyo'nne, who the Kyorls considered to be corrupted.

They scattered, and upon regrouping Kiel yelled harshly at Shinae for throwing Kyo'nne into the templars' arms, as well as her intent to throw herself at her clan's mercy for failing to protect Chrystel - Shinae would likely be going to her death instead. Naal mediated their argument, but Shinae insisted that rescuing Chrys'tel would be impossible - a sentiment agreed on by all of the girls. As Shinae stormed off to return home, Kiel regrettably told Naal'suul that she also needed to leave to report back to Kharla'ggen - perhaps her clan could assist with rescuing Kyo'nne. Once home, she made a plushie of Chirinide to appeal to Kharla'ggen's child-like mind, insisting that the Kyorl'solenurn group needed to be stopped before they came after the Vel'Vloz'ress again and asking the Ill'haress for her help. Kharla hissed that she didn't have the time, however, and instead offered another option - if Kiel could locate the demon-shard Discordia for her, then Kharla would help her kill Chirinide and rescue Kyo'nne[6].

Saving Kyo'nne

Kiel later rejoined Naal, and the pair was sent out to search the dvergar caverns outside of the Sarghress outpost ofMachike'Shikumo, where they quickly found several battles breaking out between the Vel'Vloz'ress seekers and a group of Val'Kyorl'solenurn warriors. They also found Kyo'nne alongside Chirinide, her blade Shan'naal, and Ariel Val'Sarghress. Still believing Kyo to be the Kyorl's prisoner, they immediately confronted Ariel and her traveling party, taunting them before attacking with her bladed chain.[7]]] After several exchanges of weapon blows and magical spells, Kyo'nne managed to intervene, putting Chirinide to sleep with her spellsong and telling her friends that she was traveling with Ariel of her own free will.

After the fighting of in the caverns died down, Kiel discovered that the Val'Sarghress had managed to capture Sene'kha, who had also been hunting for Discordia. As a favor, Kiel and Naal were allowed to travel with the Sarghress caravan until they reached Machike, allowing them to catch up on recent events with Kyo and to decide how to proceed next. Upon their arrival, Kiel'ndia continued to taunt Chirinide, goading her into proselytizing about the goddess Sharess while they waited for Ariel to arrange a meeting with the captured summoner prior to her execution. Kiel also confronted Ariel about her missing brother, Mir'kin, demanding that the younger drow admit what truly had happened to him instead of claiming that she didn't know anything about his fate.[8]]]

After parting, Naal asked Kiel about her harsh attitude towards Ariel; the Sarghress heir had after all allowed her to meet with Sene'kha, and the way she spoke to her was a poor way to repay her. Prodding slightly more, Naal pondered aloud whether or not Kiel'ndia was in fact jealous of Ariel, which the young Vloz bitterly denied.

Upon meeting with Sene'kha as promised, the summoner tried to bargain with Kiel'ndia, promising that she could save Naal'suul from the seed that was growing within her if Kiel would set her free. Before agreeing to anything, Kiel insisted on knowing why Sene'kha and her group of seekers would hunt a demon out in the open as they had; Sene'kha gleefully explained her plan, telling Kiel that she planned to lure an ancient demon god to this plane using Discordia as bait. Once on this side, the demon god would be absorbed into Kharla's already massive aura, giving her unspeakable influence over the whole of Chel'el'Sussoloth. Sene'kha would manipulate Kharla's simple mind, and Kiel would live like a queen under Sene'kha's complete rule of the underworld[9].

This left Kiel to make a harsh decision: abandon Kharla to Sene'kha's plans in order to save Naal, or refuse the offer, and free Kharla from the summoner's control.

After asking advice from Naal, Kiel decided that Sene'kha's plan could never come to fruition - Naal insisted that she was a walking corpse already, and her tainting past the point of saving. With a new resolve, Kiel faced Sene'kha again, abandoning her to her fate and ignoring the older drow's attempts to taunt her into killing the summoner herself. Afterwards, Kiel witnessed Sene'kha's execution at the hand of the Kyorl'solenurn, knowing that while her mother had finally been avenged, it might come at the cost of her clan's future[10]. She then raced home with Naal to beat the news of Sene'kha's death to the clan, taking steps to wrest control in the wake of Sene'kha's loss.

The Puppets Strike Back

On their way back to Chel, Kiel discussed the current problem with her best friend, explaining her fears that there may be someone even more powerful pulling Sene'kha's strings. Kiel and Kharla were mere puppets in the game, but it was time to cut their strings and take back control of the clan. Upon entering the Vloz'ress fortress, she greeted Nyo'ka amiably, asking about the summoner's children before heading into the keep. Nyo'ka warned her to be careful, however, with no further words as to why.

Bringing Naal with her, the pair reported to Kharla'ggen, presenting a gift of a large, pink plush spider to the irritated Ill'haress. Kharla immediately claimed the toy and asked whether or not they had found the "demon child." Admitting that they hadn't, Kiel was then questioned by Kharla's caretaker, and explained that Sene'kha would not be returning. Asking the aged human where her allegience lay, now that her former mistress was dead, the blind woman offered her submission to Kiel'ndia, calling her by the nickname of Pumpkin.

Kharla further asked after the shard and Sene'kha, and Kiel explained to the child-like Ill'haress that the summoner was dead - it would be up to Kiel as her big sister to take care of her now. Instructing Kharla's caretakers to keep the door shut, she then convinced the mollified Ill'haress to share a bath, taking the time to bond with her as sisters and to convince Kharla to follow her big sister's lead.

Now loyal to Kiel'ndia, Kharla then helped her fend off Larv'ova, a summoner who hoped to fill the void left by Sene'kha. Now past the point of no return, Kiel knew she had to take control of her clan if she wished to stop them from destroying the world.

The Vloz'ress Revolution

Realizing that she would need allies in her quest, Kiel sought out an old family friend, Kar'liir. An engineer by trade who had hermited himself after Sene'kha's takeover, Kar'liir expressed satisfaction at hearing of the former leader's death, stating that Ven'ndia would have been happy to hear of it. Unwilling to get involved in politics again, the engineer refused Kiel's request for help at first, telling her to leave him to his work. Kiel continued to wear the older drow down, however, she was able to appeal to his sense of self preservation - even if Sene'kha had left him alone in the Vloz basement to continue his work, there was no guarantee that the next leader would.

Relenting finally, Kar'liir agreed to make two golems for Kiel, on the condition that afterwards, he wouldn't have to be involved in the clan leadership infighting any further. The first would be a golem with the likeness of Sene'kha, which would include a foci to allow Kiel to speak through it, and in doing so, she could gain command Sene'kha's small army of naga. The second was more personal - a golem of Ven'ndia, to rattle Sene'kha's followers and act as a symbol of justice to the rest of the clan[12].

The next morning, Kiel sent a messenger to the Vel'Sharen fortress with an invitation for Chrys and Shinae to meet with them at the Beldrobbaen clan home. There, she found that Chrys was also dealing with problems of similar magnitude - she had discovered that the Val'Sharess Diva'ratrika was likely dead and that the Nidraa'chal had taken the reins of the Vel'Sharen clan years ago. The four girls agreed to help each other with their respective problems, and they enjoyed the Moons End festival for a short time before leaving to help Chrys'tel with the location of her next investigation - Orthorbbae[13].

Orthorbbae's Secrets

Feeling that it was the best place to start, Chrys'tel suggested they begin their search in the basement of the Orthorbbae. While attempting to sneak into the school, they stumbled upon Nau'kheol Vel'Sharen and Khal'harror Val'Beldrobbaen, the former of which Kiel loudly professed an attraction to. With some unexpected help from Sorane, one of the boys' classmates, they made their way into the large building, and headed for the large locked door blocking the basement. Using a keystone that Chrys'tel had stolen from her mother, they attempted to open the door, and found that it required yet another keystone. Realizing that the only one likely to have a key to the entire building was Snadhya'rune, Kiel quickly formulated a plan to get into the headmistress' office by having Naal fake a tainting "fit."

With Snadhya'rune occupied and tending to Naal'suul, Kiel then kept the headmistress' guests distracted as Chrys'tel snuck into the headmistress' bedroom. After being chased out by Lulianne, the girls regrouped back at the basement, where Chrys revealed a keystone that she had found - one that successfully opened the door. Upon entering the the basement, they found it to be filled with bodies. On closer inspection, it was clear that the bodies were of people who were still walking around the school alive and well.

They came to the realization that the auras from those bodies were being installed as summons in the school. Before they could turn to leave, however, their former teacher Sate'ja Vel'Sharen, arrived to confront the intruders. Determining that they had stumbled across Snadhya'rune's secret, she then attacked them, and in doing so revealed herself to be a summon as well. Kiel'ndia attempted to help her friends fight the older drow off, the summon quickly began to overpower them.

While striking at her former students, the Sate'ja summon landed a fatal blow on Naal'suul. Realizing that there would be no other way to stop her, Naal'suul relinquished control of her seed, mutating into an insatiable glutton demon to the horror of her friends. The now massive demon devoured Sate'ja as the young Vals pulled the freezer doors shut. Kiel insisted that they go back in for Naal, but Shinae and Chrys'tel physically stopped her from doing so. Hurt and furious, she returned home to grieve the loss of her best friend[14].

Chrys'tel and Shinae followed Kiel back to the Vloz'ress Fortress, reassuring her that they would help her with her takeover as promised. Still in shock from the recent events, Kiel was pulled out of her fugue by Kharla'ggen's caretaker; feeling rage and frustration at losing her best friend, Kiel demanded that the others leave, including her invisible "friends." Chrys and Shinae regretfully left Kiel to herself until the next day, leaving behind the stolen keystone as well for Kiel's use.

Kiel'ndia succeeds in taking leadership of the Vel'Vloz'ress clan.[15]

Kiel'ndia's Coup

With Chrys'tel and Shinae serving as moral support, Kiel'ndia trained with the nagas, attempting to improve her control over them. Realizing that she needed a better foci, she returned to Kar'liir's lair, chipping off a chunk of the massive fire focus sitting underneath the Vloz'ress Fortress. When Kes'sen, Sene'kha's lieutenant, returned with the rest of Sene'kha's seekers, he found himself facing an ambush in the form of a leadership challenge, led by Kiel'ndia. Using the nagas and revealing the golem of Ven'ndia, Kiel managed to barely win the fight, killing Kes'sen in front of the clan summoners to complete the leadership trial and taking command of the Vloz'ress clan.

Even with Kharla'ggen's support and the nagas under her control, however, Kiel's transition to power was less than smooth. Her golem guardians deflected an assassination attempt that very night as she sat down for cake and tea with Kharla, showing that there were already opponents to her leadership. After taking a victory bite of cake, Kiel soon realized that there was yet another attempt, this time with the cake itself. She curled up in pain as the poison spread through her body, and Kharla immediately ran to take vengeance on Larv'ova, who she suspected would not accept Kiel's reign[16].

A pair of scourges that Kiel recognized to be of another summoner, Nyo'ka, appeared to gloat over the dying Vel. She passed out, but awoke a short time later to find that Larv'ova was using blood sorcery to remove the poison from her body. The "stitch woman," as Kharla had labeled her, had saved Kiel'ndia's life, though she refused to make the healing painless as a reminder to the young clan leader. After chastising Kiel for pushing potential allies such as herself away, Lar'vova offered to help Kiel'ndia for their mutual gain. Not feeling any other choice, Kiel accepted the summoner's offer, though she did not trust her[17].

Once she could stand again, Kiel'ndia called her golems and nagas, and left in search of Nyo'ka and the two scourges. Finding Nyo'ka in her chambers, Kiel confronted the woman, until the presence of Nyo'ka's two children made her hesitate. Instead of executing her, Kiel allowed Nyo'ka to live on the condition that the scourges who had orchestrated the assassination attempt were given to Kharla to be turned into living dolls. When Nyo'ka continued to deny any knowledge of the plot, Kiel merely replied that she was sure that the summoner could find out.

The rest of the clan's summoners soon fell in line, once Larv'ova pledged her support. Baliir and Shoki Vloz'ress in particular placed their support behind Kiel'ndia directly, acting as her enforcers and sometime bodyguards in place of her naga and golem companions.

Loose Ends

Kiel'ndia refused to leave the fortress for a while after taking command of the Vloz'ress, even when Chrys'tel and Shinae attempted to invite her out. Eventually, Chrys'tel convinced Nau'kheol to get Kiel'ndia to leave the Fortress, an offer which she enthusiastically accepted. During an awkward carriage ride with Nau, she wildly flirted with him and made him exceedingly uncomfortable. They met with Chrys'tel, Shinae and Kyo'nne at a brightly lit cafe, and the girls each shared the adventures they had been having. Kiel left for the Orthorbbae, asking for one more favor of a ride before she left. Nau'kheol told her she could take the carriage and leave it there, where it would be retrieved later. She gave him a kiss on the head in thanks before she departed.

At the Orthorbbae, Kiel'ndia dragged the dead body of one of the scourges who had tried to kill her down to the basement. Kicking in the freezer room in the basement, she found that the demon Naal'suul had become still bore her friend's face and torso. Kiel reached out to Naal in a moment of hopelessness, saying that she didn't want to live in a world this messed up, offering herself to the glutton demon. Naal moved to eat Kiel, but at the last second, the demon pushed her away, closing the door behind her. Realizing there was still some part of Naal inside, Kiel's faith was restored. She vowed to feed Naal on a regular basis and returned to her clan in higher spirits[18].

Biography - Arc II

Kiel rules the Vel'Vloz'ress clan.

15 years later, Kiel'ndia maintained control of the Vel'Vloz'ress clan under Ill'haress Kharla'ggen. She punished Maki for invading a civilian district without her approval by giving her to Kharla to be made into a doll. The scourges that followed Maki became loyal to Kiel under threat of a similar fate. Kiel'ndia also made use of powers she had developing over the years while sealing an open gate. The voices in her head she used to speak to now had primitive black bodies that acted on her command.

Kiel also recruited summoner Fame'nidea to her side when she was found guilty of opening that nether gate[19]. Fame helped Kiel'ndia return to the freezer to feed Naal, where Kiel was approached by Khaless Sharen. Kiel immediately attacked Khaless, but Khaless managed to eventually talk her down. Kiel was given an invite to meet with Snadhya'rune Vel'Sharen and several other influential parties in Felde to discuss the future of Chel'el'Sussoloth. Kiel took the invitation but made no comment on whether or not she would attend[20].

During the fight, Kiel'ndia's black demon bodies became more developed. They drew into full figures with glowing white weapons and accessories. She told them that when she was down in the basement with Naal weird things like that occasionally happened.

The Val'Kyorl'solenurn Fortress

Kiel consults with her demons to come up with a half-baked plan to infiltrate the Kyorl'solenurn lands, using odd disguises, demons and chocolate to confuse the drowussu guards. She meets and battles Chirinide, winning the fight by conjuring a turtle-shaped Friend Demon on top of the Kyorl's head.

Kiel manages to infiltrate the Empress' chambers in order to assassinate the fake Diva'ratrika.

The Val'Beldrobbaen Fortress

Once again, Kiel'ndia attempts to infiltrate another clan's territory, albeit for more serious purposes - she and her band hoped to assassinate the false Empress installed by Sarv'swati Vel'Sharen. In Kiel'ndia's opinion, the only way to truly change Chel and achieve her dreams was to start by trimming the underworld's corrupt leadership who were adding to Chel's problems...starting with Diva. With that goal in mind, Kiel recruited several loyal scourges, as well as Fame'ndia, and met with Kar'liir to acquire the use of a massive turtle golem for transportation to take them to the Beldrobbaen fortress.

Upon arrival, the group was challenged by the Imperial Guard, until Kiel presented them with an invitation from Verthandi Val'Beldrobbaen. They located Verthandi, who then led Kiel and her gang directly to the Empress' quarters, where the assassination is successful despite heavy resistance by Imperial Guards present. Nir'naya and other Guards doggedly pursued Kiel and her companions throughout the fortress, while Kiel's friend demons attempted to slow them down or distract them from their quarry. Finding that they needed to separate, Kiel jumped through an open window and onto the attached ledge, taking several wounds as she made her escape. With encouragement from her friend demons, she managed to jump through another nearby window and regrouped with her companions. Together, they managed to fight their way back to the turtle golem, losing Elbinac in the process. The Imperial Guard and Beldrobbaen soon closed in, however, using earth and fire magic to topple and destroy the turtle golem.

Kiel's gang managed to recover from the destruction of the golem, partially due to Jysmur Vloz'ress using an unorthodox method and the turtle golem's fire foci to create an explosion that fended of their pursuers. As the others turned to run, Tsuris'lok refused to leave, revealing that he had succumbed to his seed and instead chose to kill their enemies. Understanding that there was nothing that they could to for him, Kiel ordered Vycil and Fame to keep running[21].

Hoping to keep them safe, Kiel then split off from her remaining companions, with the rest of the pursuers hot on her trail. The chase continued towards far through Beldrobbaen territory towards the disputed borders with Sarghress troops, until she was saved by an unlikely source: Chrys'tel and Nau'kheol, who had returned to Chel ahead of Zala'ess' army. Kiel'ndia informed them of what happened, and of how Khaless's influence would provide access to Nidraa'chal agents who would help Kiel'ndia kill any Chel leader she wants[22]. Chrys'tel was not pleased by this news, and demanded that she be brought with Kiel to Felde to speak directly to her aunt Snadhya'rune. Meanwhile, Nemea'tari listened in to the conversation, overhearing Chrys'tel's agreement to assist Kiel in getting out of the district.

A New Search For Answers Begins

A short time later, Kiel held a war council with Bal'iir, Chrys'tel and Nau'kheol in order to discuss the aftermath of her assassination of the false Empress. After their meeting, the Vloz'ress were gifted a monstrous summoning foci by Chrys'tel, nicknamed the "summoner killer" - a giant turtle summon whose mana requirements were so massive, that Koana calculated it would take at least a dozen summoners to call it out[23]. Despite her fondness for turtles, Kiel'ndia was unsure about the summon, as it was suspected that Kharla'ggen would be the only one who had to strength to summon it.

Assembling a new "crew," Kiel prepared the giant turtle summon for the journey to Felde - it was time to take Khaless up on her invitation to Snadhya'rune's gathering, and in doing so, fulfil her promise to help Chrys meet with Snadhya-rune. As the crew was loading up onto the turtle's makeshift cargo deck, the young Vloz'ress leader discovered two unexpected additions: Sara'hilana Balvhakara and An'jin Jie'yen. Kiel attempted to evict them from the turtle, but was convinced to allow them to join the expedition in exchange for their promises to follow Kharla's orders. The Nuqrah'shareh representatives readily agreed, and the turtle began its lumbering trip to Snadhya'rune's home city.

During the trip, Kiel began to overhear Chrys'tel and Shinae discussing the harmful effects of their seeds, when Fame brought their attention to a group of drow headed towards them, mounted on a large insectoid craft. A quick introduction revealed the travelers to be from the Jaal'darya clan, with their interests perked by the giant turtle mount. During their conversation, it was revealed that not only were their destinations the same, but the turtle had been heading in the wrong direction; thankfully, the Jaal'darya were able to lead them the rest of the way to Felde.

Arrival At Felde

Upon their arrival at Felde, Kiel and her companions ran into Lar'vova and her scourges. The summoner then sent Kuso to interrogate Kiel, much to his discomfort as his lack of subtlety and rudeness caused Kiel to retaliate with a knee to his groin. As she and Kuso argued, Kharla wandered away and discovered the food bar presented by Snadhya'rune for the assembled guests. When the Ill'haress began messily devouring food from the serving dishes, several servants attempted to stop her, only to begin being turned into puppets for their trouble. Kiel and Lar'vova attempted to intervene, but were beaten to it by Khaless, who managed to calm the irritated Kharla down, escorting her away from the public[24]. As the summoner attempted to chastise Kiel for bringing Kharla to a public venue, the rest of her companions began to separate, each setting out to continue their own investigations.

Shrugging off Lar'vova's admonishments, Kiel entered the central Tower, where Snadhya'rune had made her appearance. She greeted the lady of Felde amiably, and proceeded to bluntly ask Snadhya'rune if she had in fact killed the real Empress. Amused, the First Daughter denied the claim. Their conversation was interrupted shortly afterwards by an assassination attempt by Ran'diirk Xyrrai'zestu Sharen; pushing past Kiel'ndia, to her surprise, as she had expected retaliation for the death of the false empress. Instead, the warrior made a suicidal charge towards Snadhya'rune, but was intercepted by a large, armored statue that Kiel had noticed was previously un-animated prior to the attack. It seemed that the older drow had planned for any scenario, Kiel'ndia noted, including animated armor which took the form of a dragon summon[25].

Kiel rejoined Chrys'tel as Snadhya'rune began to speak, watching the crowds and the First Daughter as she gave a grand speech that revealed the use of a poison that would be used to bring the less cooperative clans to heel under her rule. The Vloz'ress would be exempt from this toxin, Snadhya claimed, having assisted her plans in coming to fruition with their assistance in casting down the false Empress. As if to add a bit of dramatic flair to her words, the attendees witnessed the arrival of the airship that the Nidraa'chal had stolen from Nuqrah'shareh, marveling at the powerful craft. When Shodun called out a command for the crowd to kneel, Kiel attempted to resist, barely managing to keep from kneeling with everyone else[26].

Invitation To An Execution

After the gathering, Kiel joined Lar'vova and Fame for ice cream, accompanied by Lind'orm Vloz'ress, and the friend demons Bast, Sindas and Njack. As they discussed the meeting, Kiel revealed that while her initial intent was to punch Snadhya'rune, she now found herself slightly open to the idea of the First Daughter ruling Chel[27]. They were interrupted by the entrance of Sabryne Sarghress, who was being chased by an exhausted Kuso. As he collapsed, Kiel questioned what he was up to; the Vloz'ress minion revealed that here were Sarghress in the city, and not of the "invited type."

Shortly afterwards, Kiel received word that Sara'hilana had been captured by the Felde guard force. While arguing with Kalki Nidraa'chal for her release, Khaless arrived with Kharla'ggen, who immediately claimed Sara as belonging to her. As the Ill'haress began to cuddle Sara, she revealed that she had been intimate with Khaless, much to Kiel's shock and dismay. Kiel, Fame, Sara and Kharla were then provided darkened goggles and invited to watch the execution of the Sarghress squad who had infiltrated the city; after witnessing the power of the ship's mana cannons, Kiel admitted that she wanted the ship.

Spotting some movement among the bodies tied to the execution posts, Kiel leapt over the railing, and found a lone survivor - Vayas'arn Sarghress. Commenting that the girl had Kuso's luck, Vayas replied that it wasn't luck - she had been shielded by one of her squadmates, who had covered her body to protect her from the mana blast[28].

Time For A Quick Getaway

Realizing that An'jin had also been captured by the Felde militia, Kiel insisted that he was part of her crew, and she wouldn't leave him behind. With Fame and Kuso's assistance, she snuck into the dungeon below Felde, commenting that it felt just like when they had snuck into the Beldrobbaen fortress - this time with no inside help. Fame responded that there was no army this time, at least. Finally locating An'jin in the lower levels, they also spotted Erelice and Vayas resting in the cell next door. Kiel agreed to release the two Sarghress, promising to take Vayas with them as they escaped in exchange for Erelice providing the best distraction they'd ever seen[29].

Kiel shows her loyalty to her friends, refusing to leave anyone behind.

Taking advantage of the guards being occupied by the sudden appearance of invaders from Mimanied, Kiel and Fame returned to the main floor, regrouping with Kharla and Lar'vova and her scourges. Sneaking their way through the tower, the group made their way to the bridge leading them to the giant turtle, only to be stalled by the Felde militia, who advised her that the city was on lockdown due to the invasion. Help arrived in the form of Ariel Val'Sarghress, who had shapeshifted into Kalki's likeness. The Sarghress heir convinced the guards to let them pass, claiming that she - as Kalki - was kicking the guests out of the city. The group was then allowed to pass undisturbed, and made their way to the giant turtle. Kiel then offered Ariel and her companions a ride back to Chel aboard the turtle as a thank you for her timely assistance[30]. Noticing Kyo's absence, Kiel asked about her whereabouts, insisting that she should go back to retrieve their friend. She was convinced by the others to abandon the idea, however - Kyo was able to take care of herself.

Return To Chel

As they traveled back towards Chel, Kiel was approached by Nau'kheol, who had been inspired by her loyalty to Kyo'nne and the others. He offered his hand to her as they reminisced shortly about Naal'suul Beldrobbaen, and they held hands while Kiel swore that she would never leave him behind[31].

The group began to discuss Snadhya'rune again, when Kharla'ggen suddenly toppled forward and began to fall off of the turtle. The passengers moved quickly, forming a chain to catch the fallen Ill'haress before she could fall off of the turtle, and worked together to bring her back aboard. Realizing that Kharla had been starving, as her extended use of mana to power the turtle summon was exhausting her, Kiel called for food, attempting to revive her "lil sis."

Upon reaching the Chel outskirts, Kiel again attempted to acquire food, but was due to the presence of the Sarghress army, who had stripped the outpost of everything that they had had. Ariel helped her climb back aboard the turtle by using her hair as a tool, which Kiel commented on before continuing an old discussion about the clans needing to resolve their problems by sitting down together, and have their leaders set on fire[32].

Unwelcome Surprises

Kiel and her companions returned to the Vloz'ress Fortress, only to find the surrounding area filled with both Sharen and Sarghress troops. After interrogating the gate guards, Kiel found that Nyo'ka had struck a deal with Chrys'tel to leave a gate open to allow the Sharen and Nuqrah'shareh forces to pass through into Chel. Now, the same territory was being used as a neutral meeting ground for the negotiations between Zala'ess Vel'Sharen and Quain'tana Val'Sarghress.

After dismounting the turtle, Kiel reminded Kharla that she could unsummon the turtle, now that they had returned home safely - if not, it would continue to drain her. Watching her sister stalk off in search of food, she then turned her attention back to the current situation at hand of the sudden influx of unexpected guests. Her ire was lessened, however, after Nau'kheol refused to return with Chrys'tel to the Sharen contingent, exclaiming loudly that he could make his own decisions...and his decision was to stay with Kiel.

Carrying her newly proclaimed "cuddly prince" as she followed after Kharla, Kiel was met by Vicyl and Cac'bolg. Vicyl appeared concerned, warning of strange activity in the older tower and warning Kiel'ndia that she should get Kharla and leave immediately - something very wrong was about to go down[33]. Cac'bolg then asked her when the last time was that she had fed Naal'suul. Panicking, as Naal had not been fed in some time, Kiel realized that Naal had to be starving by now. Leaving Fame with the friend demons to look after Kharla, Kiel and Nau immediately set out for the Orthorbbae to check on her demonic friend.

Back To Orthorbbae

As they climbed back up towards the main cavern of Chel, Kiel and Nau conversed again, this time regarding his fears and dislike of his taint. She glanced back at the Fortress in the distance, which had begun to become surrounded by nether flares and energy. Realizing that something dire was going on, she promised that someone would be punished upon her return home[34].

Making their way into the school, they found the Orthorbbae nearly empty, without a student in sight. They were met by one of the faculty, who questioned their reason for being there. Kiel quickly made up an excuse, claiming that they were there to check on one of her clan's children. The teacher relented, recognizing her as the Vloz'ress's main representative. With the requirement that Nau'kheol remain with her, she allowed Kiel to proceed into the school. Reaching the door to the basement, Kiel paused, pondering how Naal would react to seeing her again - would her friend-turned-glutton-demon hug her, or try to eat her[35]?

Spotting a convenient body of a stabbed tiktikki, as well as that of a student who had crashed his floater, she opened the door, with an offering in hand, and entered the basement. The large chamber was more silent than expected, and Kiel moved further in, seeing no sign of Naal anywhere - just the discarded doll that she remembered Naal holding as she sealed herself away. Finally, Kiel'ndia caught sight of Naal, who immediately attempted to devour her.

Panicking at her old friend's behavior, Kiel attempted to escape the glutton demon's maw, reaching up to Naal's upper torso, which still maintained her old friend's form. Giving her an embrace seemed to shock the demon out of her ravenous fit. She released Kiel, choosing to go on a rampage through the school instead - heading straight for the doors leading out of the building and into the main cavern of Chel. Along the way, she swept up Nau'kheol, who had been chatting casually with the teacher, and attempted to devour them both. As Kiel tried to convince Naal to turn them loose, the lumbering demon managed to crash her way into the main hall, toppling the large fountain statue in the center of the room in the process.

Kiel'ndia managed to look Naal'sul in the eye as she fought for the glutton demon to release her "meal". Realizing that Naal was afraid of being locked up again, she called out to her, telling Naal to follow her out of the building. Once outside of the building, she finally convinced Naal to release the teacher and Nau'kheol, who appeared none the worse for wear.

Regretting her impulsive actions, Kiel attempted to apologize to Nau, who stiffened suddenly as something attempted to take control of his body. Fearing that his seed was taking over, he began to panic, but Kiel quickly determined that the effect was closer to that of Kharla's special puppeteering magic. Calling out for her sister, in the odd chance that Kharla had followed her, Kiel was interruped by Sindas and Njack, who reported the recent events at the Vloz'ress Fortress.

Kiel became determined that she would find a solution to help everyone. To their surprise, she remained unchanged; the puppet spell did not have any hold over the young Vloz'ress. With Sindas' help, they lifted Nau onto Naal's back, and together made their way back to the Vloz'ress Fortress[36].

Facing A Demon God

Upon returning to the Fortress, they found their way blocked by Lar'vova, Fame, and several scourges. With help from Naal and several of the friend demons, Kiel managed to scale the still active turtle summon, using it to enter an upper floor of the Fortress. She continued to move further into the fortress, dodging summoners and nether spikes, as well as other odd hazards that had appeared with the summoning. The building began to shake, as the turtle continued to attempt to enter the fortress to come to its mistress' aid, warning Kiel that her timeframe in which she could save her sister was getting shorter and shorter.

When Kiel arrived at the main summoning chamber, she found Kharla enthralled in the summoning ritual, with Sara'hilana and Ba'liir caught up in the puppeteer spell. She also discovered a pile of bodies that included Naal'ga, Umpus, and several others. As Kiel begged for Kharla to stop the ritual, the Ill'haress cried out in pain, calling for Kiel to make it stop.

Kiel'ndia shows no fear in the face of a demon god, ordering it to go back where it came from.

Realizing that her sister could not stop the summoning on her own, Kiel continued to try to appeal to Kharla, hoping to find a way to break the connection. Kharla mindlessly retaliated, her spell finally taking hold of Kiel in an attempt to stop her from interfering. Her assault was cut short, however, as Naal arrived on the scene, and tried to help in the only way she could - by attempting to swallow Kharla'ggen. In doing so, fortunately, the connection between Kharla and the rest of the populace of Chel was severed, and they found themselves back in control of their own bodies[37]. Kiel then found herself facing another problem: convincing Naal to spit Kharla out.

The glutton demon refused to release Kharla'ggen, however, despite Kiel's attempts to save her. As the younger Vloz'ress tried to pull the Ill'haress out of Naal's mouth, the floor began to give way as the gigantic nether demon that had crawled through the ritual rift continued its fight with the giant turtle summon. She was pulled away by Nau'kheol, who had also recovered control of himself, and could only watch as Naal and Kharla fell into the massive demon rift, vanishing forever. The nearby floor continued to crumble as they made their way out of the fortress, however, but the pair were saved from falling to their deaths by the giant turtle summon, which used the last of its energy to catch them[38].

Enraged by the loss of her sister and best friend for the second time, as well as the destruction of the her home, Kiel resolved herself to face down the gigantic nether demon god that was slowly attempting to crawl through the rift. Ignoring the artillery blasts from the surrounding Sarghress army, she stood atop the turtle summon's head, facing the demon god directly. With an obscene gesture in each hand, she glared at it, shouting at it to go back where it came from. Immediately afterwards, the nether creature retreated, falling back through the rift and dissipating from sight[39].

Aftermath Of The Puppeteer Incident

Two days after the Puppeteer Incident, Kiel sat atop the now dormant turtle summon's head, screaming out her frustrations into the magma fissure that had held the nether gate. When Nau and Fame arrived with food from the nearby camp, she initially refused his offering, and merely asked if he was going to leave her too. The loss of their clan home, turtle summon, their belongings, and their Ill'haress had disillusioned many of the remaining Vloz'ress, who left to seek their fortunes and new homes elsewhere. It appeared that the Vloz'ress could hardly be called a clan anymore.

Kiel kisses Nau out of joy after he promises to stay by her side.

The discussion turned to where Nau would go from there - primarily, whether his mother would approve of their union. Nau commented that Zala'ess would likely disapprove of any pairing not chosen by her, and insisted that he would not allow her to make such a decision for him. After his reassurance that he would stay by her side, Kiel swept him up in a deep kiss[40].
They were soon joined by Baliir and Sara, who brought news from the Alliance, as well as a job offer - the Alliance was willing to assist Kiel with re-establishing a new home and family house, in exchange for taking a team to the Orthorbbae in search of the rumored Ninth Tower. After Sara mentioned another incentive - Zala'ess' endorsement of Nau and Kiel's union - Fame'ndia declared that they would accept the mission, even before hearing the details. Baliir also added his approval, advising Kiel that this was her chance to turn the Vloz's current situation around and provide them a way to start anew.

Turning to Nau, Kiel'ndia asked his feelings on the opportunity, to his surprise - he was usually ignored and drug around, regardless of what his opinion was. That was to change, Kiel promised him - now, the decision was his. After quickly mulling over the options, he agreed, and Fame pulled Kiel and Nau in for a group hug while declaring that the crew was back together. The job would be tough, Kiel told them, as they didn't have a giant turtle summon or Naal to back them up anymore.

Searching For The Ninth Tower

A week later, Kiel returned from scouting the Orthorbbae again, reporting her lack of findings to Nau'kheol. There was no ninth tower to be found on the outskirts of the school - the only way they would find anything would be to kick the doors down and investigate. During their discussion, they were joined by Naal's demon, which had escaped being devoured after going into the nether rift. Slipping back into the real world, it had sought out Kiel'ndia, desperate for her help. Still insisting it was actually Naal'suul, the demon became relieved that it had found Kiel, who showed that she could hear it, much like her friend demons. She comforted the tiny nether being, concerned that it would not last long without a body. Realizing that there would be vacant bodies in the school, courtesy of the summoned teachers, Kiel and Nau agreed to return to the school for a recon mission to search for the Ninth Tower and a new body for Naal.

The next day, the crew reassembled, and prepared to enter the Orthorbbae. As they entered the main entrance hallway, they witnessed Kadara chasing down an unfortunate teacher - the same teacher who had allowed her into the basement previously to visit Naal during the Puppeteer Incident. As the vengeful Sharen stabbed her to death, Kiel asked Naal if she wanted the body. The little demon declined, and at the same time discovered the presence of the friend demons and the "voices" that Kiel had spoken to all along[41]. As Kadara turned towards the crew, they ran, not wanting to risk a fight with the veteran warrior. Dodging through the hallways and heading towards the headmistress' office, they were forced to evade patrols of Sarghress and Sharen soldiers, who were executing anyone found within the school. Aided by the friend demons, they found their way into Snadhya'rune's office, and within it, a large lift.

Kiel proceeded to activate the lift hesitantly, having had bad experiences with them previously. Nau leapt up to catch hold of the platform, refusing to let her go up into the unknown space alone. Upon reaching the top of the lift, Kiel and Nau found themselves in what appeared to be an open plaza guarded by golems. After sending the lift back down for the rest of their crew, Kiel'ndia turned to face the golems, who were then disabled by the friend demons and Naal. In the meantime, a booming voice rang out, ordering them to leave. As they explored further into the tower, the friend demons scouted ahead, but returned quickly in a panic. Warning her to get away, Sindas was then drawn into a ball of friend demons, which appeared to be held by Sha'sana, who seemed to be able to restrain them easily. Kiel attempted to convince her that there had been a misunderstanding, and that they would leave if she would hand over the friend demons. Sha'sana appeared unimpressed, and berated Kiel for bringing wild demons into her home, all the while unable to understand how she could consider such beings to be her "friends".

Angered by Sha'sana's dismissal of her friends, Kiel insisted that they were real, and that she had spoken with hundreds of them, each with their own personalities. They were what they wanted to be, Kiel stated. As she strode forward to confront Shasanna, the dokkalfar lashed out with her magic, striking Kiel down to the ground. As Kiel attempted to rise, Sha'sana spoke to Nau, commenting that Snadhya'rune had misused her tainting procedure, and that he could still seek help to overcome his seed. She prepared another spell, this time to banish it, but was interrupted by the young Sharen, who punched her in the stomach to distract her.

Kiel and Naal'suul are finally reunited, this time working to save Kiel's "princeling."

Angered by his actions, Sha'sana angrily declared that she had never killed a child, yet lashed out again with mana, tossing both Nau and Kiel down the steps from the landing and began to pursue them back towards the lift dock. With another swipe of mana, she struck out again at the pair; Nau began to fall, but was caught by Kiel'ndia's quick action. Bantering about the weight of his armor, Nau insisted that after this was over, he wanted a break. Kiel asked if that could include settling down and starting a family, which he agreed to, if hesitantly. Sha'sana reached down again to Kiel, noting that there was something different about her. Before she could do anything further, a dark shape reached out of Kiel's back, catching the dokkalfar's hand and forming into a brand new friend demon - this time, in the shape of Naal'suul. With her friend's help, she was able to pull Nau'kheol back up onto the landing and to safety.

Kiel became overjoyed at the return of her oldest friend, pulling her into a hug to the wonder of Nau and Sha'sana. The older woman began to insist that Kiel stay so that she could study the phenomena, as she had never seen such a thing happen before. Kiel refused, as Sha'sana had hurt her demon friends, and they had the rest of the crew waiting for them below. She finally agreed to stay, so long as the friend demons were left alone. Shasanna agreed, in exchange for the promise that the demons were not to approach her charge - the empty body which had once housed Sharess herself.

As she spoke, the lift returned, bringing with it the rest of Kiel's crew, who were now held captive by Sil'lice Val'Sharen, Kadara, and several other Sharen and Sarghress troops. Before Sha'sana could finish greeting Sil'lice, the Sharen renegade daughter stepped closer, running the summoner through with her sword without another word. In retaliation, Sha'sana reached out to the closest nether being - a cluster of friend demons - and slammed them into Sil'lice's face, striking her down[42]. The two groups began to threaten each other, attempting to figure out why the other was there; Kiel pointed out that they had both come to the Orthorbbae for the same reason: to investigate the school, although Kiel's crew had not massacred everyone on the way in.

A short time later, Kiel and Naal attempted to catch up, with the Vloz filling her in on the recent events leading up to when she had "died." They also discussed Sil'lice and her newfound status as a tainted drow; Kiel commented that perhaps being one of them would keep her from killing others due to their eye color. Naal disagreed, commenting that Kiel knew that the Sharen's hatred was due to more than just colors, to which Kiel half-heartedly agreed.

With the Ninth Tower now discovered and without a master, Kiel'ndia decided that someone needed to occupy it, and that may as well be them, along with anyone still with them - they would claim the tower as the new home for the Vloz'ress before the Alliance could lay claim to it. Kiel then showed the dormant body laying in stasis upstairs to Naal'suul, asking if she wanted it, but the new friend demon declined again, stating that she no longer felt torn like she had before - there was something keeping her anchored now[43].

Biography - Act III

Three years following the conclusion of he District War, Kiel had settled into the abandoned girls' section of Orthorbbae. While playing a game with the demon formerly inhabiting Laele'all Val'Sarghress the young woman encountered intruders breaching the doors of the main hall. Pen'ri Vloz'ress, now a demon, had been destroying light fixtures for mana when Kiel confronted her--and promptly attacked out of hunger[44].

Notable Quotes

"If you're hoping they'll let you take Chrys'tel's rank and name, you're more than nuts. You're insane! You're just a commoner, a servant raised as Chrys'tel's twin to protect her. If you let them take Chrys, these bloodline maniacs you call your family will discard you without a second thought." - To Shinae Vel'Sharen, trying to convince her not to return to the Sharen after failing to protect Chrys'tel from being captured by Ariel Val'Sarghress.

"I don't care how he died and why. It happened. It's sucked. Nobody really cared about him in the clan except me, ok. So he was a little shit of a brother they selected to play family with me and Kharla, but that's all I had! Nobody has an easy life in the Vloz'ress. It's hard to find somebody who'll watch your back. PFFT! And nobody else outside the clan would care either! Just see, kill, and that's it." - To Ariel Val'Sarghress, discussing the fate of Mir'kiin Vel'Vloz'ress.

"It's Val! I got Kharla to change it." - To Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen, after being addressed as Kiel'ndia Vel'Vlozz'ress[45].

"This place was a dump, but it was my home. And ye took it, ye ugly motherkiller! And that was my sister ye messed up! Go fuck yourself back into yer own netherworld!" - to the demon god, during the Puppeteer Incident. [46]